Below is a message from the Ethics Commission regarding compliance with Open Meetings Act during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency :

Statement on Compliance with the Open Meetings Act during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

March 23, 2020

 FEMA provides the following guidance on the types of emergency protective measures that may be eligible under FEMA’s Public Assistance Program in accordance with the COVID-19 Emergency Declaration in order to ensure that resource constraints do not inhibit efforts to respond to this unprecedented disaster.

Click HERE to view memo from FEMA

In response to questions on how counties should handle board meetings in the current COVID-19 crisis, please see the following suggestions received from Tom Hood, Executive Director, Mississippi Ethics Commission.

Per Tom Hood, Executive Director of Mississippi Ethics Commission:

Counties should try their best to follow the spirit of the Open Meetings Act while balancing recommendations from the Mississippi Department of Health and CDC on social distancing.

Due to the recommendations from the House & Senate leadership along with the State Health Officer regarding the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Mississippi State Capitol has adopted a strict policy to limit visitors to the State Capitol. In order to protect the health and well being of our members from the Coronavirus outbreak, MAS will hold a conference call for the remaining scheduled Regional Capitol Visits on the scheduled date